New World, New Rules
by Maka Ano
Summary: The Sasaki twins find a closet in their new home that leads to a world they would never dream was real. Join them as they fight their way through demons, heal past scars, and learn more about the characters never mentioned before. All while avoiding changing the future. But perhaps they are there for a greater destiny? One they would never even dream of. First in Keeper series.
1. Introduction

"This place is huge, I wonder how Grandma and Grandpa could have lived here and kept this place clean by themselves for so many years." My twin sister's voice drifted to my ears from behind me. We stood in front of a centuries old Japanese manor.

Even over the ivy covered stone gate, it was easy to see the faded and worn slopes of the grey tiled roof. Under it we could see equally faded wooden walls. The stone gates stood at roughly six and a half feet, much taller than my sister and I, standing at a mere five-foot-four-inches. The stones of the gate had become plastered to their spots in the wall, now fused as one large stone as time took its toll. The wood of the entryway was just as old as everything else, but looked thick and sturdy. It had deep carvings, now too filled with dirt and stones to distinguish, showed cherry blossoms were in full bloom, peeking over the wall like nosy suburban moms made of pink fluff. It's picturesque, too picturesque. It looks more like something out of a tourist guidebook than an actual home. For a moment I wondered if I were dreaming. This place had become ours, left to us by our father's parents after they passed away and we became 18, which was only weeks ago. The thought was still strange to me.

My sister was popping the gum she'd been chewing since we got off the twenty hour flight from America. I was close to putting my fist down her throat if only to make her stop popping that damn gum. She skipped ahead of me with surprising energy, shoving on the dirty gates. The old wood opened with surprising ease for the filth that had collected in the nine years it had stayed door squealed in protest and I walked on ahead.

My eyes wandered over the old, large single story home that once housed the elderly couple we saw every holiday and summer. In front of the house, spanning from the sides to the gate was a large courtyard that we would play in as children. The dojo was tucked away in the far corner of the yard. It was merely an old, larger than average, storage shack that, despite the cleaning and repairs, still leaked during heavy rain. Our grandfather and father converted it into a place for training and practice. It was the place my father learned some of the many Martial Arts of Japan; Kendo**(1)**, Aikido**(2)**, Judo**(3)**, Goju-ryu karate**(4) **were his points of interest. It was also the place my own training had started. That was before our family tore itself apart.

I entered the home finding the air was filled with ginger, the scent lingering after so many empty summers. I sighed, feeling like I'm breathing memories. The fact that the smell still clung to the walls was both shocking and comforting. I wandered on without my sister into the kitchen, where, when they were alive, the smell was usually strongest. Grandma was always boiling fresh ginger root for her ginger-mint tea. It was, for me, the most relaxing place, next to Grandpa's dojo.

I could still see my grandmother. Her petite form swallowed by her favorite pink and purple kimono, her silver hair that she swept up out of her face into a bun. I remembered her loving smile. I remembered the way she could always see when I got upset or tired from training. She would make me her special green tea ice cream with iced mint tea. The flavors were so strange yet tasted good to a tired child on the verge of tears. I couldn't help but wonder if I could find the recipes somewhere. Over that treat, she would talk with me. More often than not she could get me to tell her my troubles, which often revolved around my family or bullies I escaped over break. She would nod with a grim smile. She once told me that people don't know how to deal with those who are extraordinary. Like the girls that stole my bag and threw it out the window. They were jealous and I should learn to forgive. I never understood where she got that idea, and never forgave them.

I remembered my grandfather. His sweaty face with a thin, short wave of gray hair stuck to his forehead hovering just over dark chocolate brown eyes. The smell of sweat and ginger that always clung to him. I remembered his clothing that varied from a black gi to his more common kimono and hakama.. He would come in to sit with me, trying to steal some of my treat and pretend to hurt when grandma would swat his arm. I would always sneak him a bite when she turned her back, but I know she always saw. His appearance was gruff from working hard his whole life. He was a man that could go from laughing and joking, to dangerous and brutal then back in the blink of an eye. He would train me until I was ready to collapse but would always wait for me to bounce back. Once he was asked to train some kids when we were visiting them one summer and he let me help. He went easy on them, compared to how he trained me. Despite this they all complained. He quit. Later when I asked Grandma why she simply said, "Someone that couldn't accept the good and the bad, had no business in learning martial arts."

Both were such amazing people. Grandma, her soothing voice and nurturing wisdom. And Grandfather, with his honor and strength that no man could rival. Also, his kind heart that gave him the strength to help those he loved and those who couldn't protect themselves. They were my heroes. They were protagonists who had lived out their adventures and left so many stories untold.

Why did they have to disappear? This question still echoed in my head. The memory of when I first heard the news still lingers. It's a memory I didn't like to explore. It remained buried deep in my mind and I would do almost anything to keep it that way.

Since their bodies were never found they could still be alive though, right? I would never lose hope.

The next few years weren't something I enjoyed remembering either. Even despite my best efforts, the years stayed prominent. They were the best years of my life, and the worst at the same time. I'm trapped by them. The smell of stale alcohol, smoke, blood, and sex clung to me despite the months I had been away from that life.

I would wake up yelling and curses echoing in my ears from deep memories turned nightmares. The illusion of blood oozing out of cuts and scrapes that littered my knuckles and body tickling my skin. I try to wipe it off, but you can't clean up the past. I would sit up screaming and flailing, trying to protect my life and honor from imaginary assailants . It was always my secret, no one would know about my horror or weakness. Not even Akari could know. Only my best friend, Arie, knew anything about it. Even then she found out by sneaking into my sleeping area after I tried giving up my previous life. We were closer than family ever could be so it's not surprising that she found out. Though it was strange, we should have been enemies yet there was something about her that I was drawn to. Just a feeling I had to protect her and learn about her when we first meet that had us crossing paths over and over again.

I left the room, leaving those memories behind, and started down the hall to see the rest of the house.

I didn't get far before I passed a bathroom and glanced inside, coming face-to-face with a girl. Her piercing studded face, dark brown-streaked-blue hair, and matching cobalt blue eyes all seemed worn and tired. Her hair had stray strands sticking out a loose ponytail that almost hid blue streaks. And her eyes were too tired, too tormented by unspoken pain that couldn't be caused from a simple flight. The pain, I knew, would normally be hidden if not for the fatigue caused by lack of sleep. Even the clothing she wore seemed tired.

The skin that showed held a golden-olive complexion from her mixed lineage but various places held pale lines and marks in the form of scars. Most of the scars had faded with time to the point of near invisibility that only the owner could see every mark with the memory of how they were all obtained.

Over all she looked as if she had been a long war that she had been fighting all her life. One that she was slowly losing.

_I hate my reflection._ Was all I could think. I always had hated mirrors.

As I stared into the mirror I thought of my sister.

Same complexion without the scars, same hair minus the blue, same face but no fatigue. Her attitude was far different than mine and her upbringing was even farther off, despite living in the same house for the first part of our lives. Even her style was different, mostly in that she had one. She was all soft curves and sheltered feminine grace. No one would doubt her gender. She's everything I could have been.

There was a short moment where I couldn't look away. My hand wandered to the pocket of my sweater. I felt my fingertips brush a piece of fabric, a hat. I carefully pulled out the beanie, rubbing the tightly stitched yarn between my fingers. I looked over the green hat, then looked up into the mirror. I let my hair fall loosely around my shoulders and down my back and put on the hat and smiled, the reflection looked what could only be described as sorrowful.

The hat stood out against my dark pallet. Such a bright and childish hat, knitted to look like a watermelon, doesn't suit someone with my attitude, yet it was as much part of me as my fists. I doubted it ever not be. I was known as Melon for so many years that I would be shocked if I could ever put it behind me.

I realized I was dwelling on the past and snatched the hat from my head, stuffing it back in my pocket where it now belonged. Continuing on down the hall, I ignored all other mirrors.

I passed my old bedroom, the one they saved just for me when I visited. It was just as I last saw it, clean except for the training gear scattered around the room. Striking pads littered the floor. Practice weapons leaned in one corner while their dangerous counterparts leaned in another. The closet I knew was filled with uniforms for every practice, usually in a shade of blue or lavender. The bed was made neat now but that was not the case all those years ago. After long days of training it had been my favorite resting spot. I took notice of a new uniform laid in the center of the bed, as one often was before Grandpa would start training me in a new style. I tried to think if I had seen it before or not. The fabric looked light like silk and was a striking soft blue. It seemed like it was meant to be light and loose, easy to move in.

It took me a moment to realize he planned to teach me tai chi. I had asked so many times but he was set on sticking to Japanese martial arts. He had said we were honor bound to keep the traditions of our heritage alive.

With a soft sigh, I continued on through the house occasionally stopping to reminisce of my time with my grandparents until I reached the far corner of the house. I then stood in front of a door, one of the only doors in the house that was made of solid wood. I was never aloud in any of them, but out of all of them, Grandma and Grandpa guarded this the closest. I was never even allowed close to it nonetheless inside. I couldn't resist.

I tested the doorknob and wasn't surprised to see it was locked. I pulled a small locking picking kit that was given to me on my fourteenth birthday and started carefully picking the lock. It was relatively easy to unlock so the door opened quickly. I was surprised by what I saw.

The room was small with deep blue walls painted with flames. In the dim light, the walls quivered eerily with life. There is a single dark wood wardrobe in the middle of the room. The wardrobe looked to be nothing special, a simple design with simple wooden handles, but I was drawn to it. A sharp tugging pulled me forward, like a hand was wrapped around my throat easing me toward the doors. I soon stood before them, but couldn't find the courage to pull the knobs.

_Remember Sora, _my grandfather's voice echoed through my mind, _instincts are not always a trustworthy tool. Just as your eyes and ears, instincts can trick you as well. When your body instructs you to run, think about your situation. When your mind agrees listen to your body. Fear is simply an illusion. Never run from a fight or face dishonor. _

Resolve settled as I grabbed the knob and yanked the door open. Heat flooded out from the glowing blue flames roaring inside. The blue fire quickly created a living, growing ring around me until I could see nothing else. The heat didn't burn exactly, but instead felt like needles jabbing into my skin until my entire body felt numb. I could only stand still as terror filled me. Eventually the only things I could feel were the fire and a pair of sadisticly evil eyes.

"**Stay out! Leave this realm alone, Keeper!**" The voice was demonic, without a doubt . I couldn't face this thing. I couldn't fight it. It was beyond my power.

I saw the world go black. I didn't feel myself hit the ground.

;~~oO0Oo~~;

Waking on the floor was never fun, especially with no memory of how I got there. I groaned and sat up, rubbing my aching head. I wondered if I had slipped and fell when the sound of passing cars caught my attention..

I looked around and started trying to find the source of the noise. We had to walk quite a while to reach this house so no way there a car passing that close. It could have been a recording, but the room was empty except for the wardrobe, whose doors were now wide open. Through the doors, I could see a street. Not a painting on the inside of the wardrobe, I saw an actual paved street with a couple walking along the sidewalk on the opposite side. I had to be going crazy. My mental state finally broke, snapped like an over-strained thread.

I stood quickly, shutting the doors. Taking a breath, I waited a moment before I opened the door only to find the road was still there.

"God, I am crazy," I muttered to myself before yelling, "Akari, get your ass over here!"

I soon heard rapid footsteps as Akari ran from, what sounded to be, the other side of the house. As she came closer I shut the doors, turning just in time to see Akari slamming through the door.

"For someone out of shape, you run pretty fast." I noted dully, making her red face flush brighter.

"Are you kidding me," She yelled, "I thought you were in trouble or that something happened to you! What the hell is so important you had to scare the shit out of me?" Her eyes held a fire I rarely saw.

"Oh nothing other than the fact that I think I found Narnia." I kept my tone neutral to measure her reaction, giving me a possible out as some joke.

Akari merely stared at me with a blank look and stated, "You're kidding, right?" The doubt was obvious in her voice, annoying me slightly.

I walked over to the wardrobe, ready to open but paused. I felt uneasy opening those doors again. Even as I opened them anyway, nothing otherwise strange happening, I couldn't shake the bad feeling. Despite the sense of danger, I couldn't deny a pull towards the strange doorway.

"Woah, how did you find this?" Akari muttered, looking through the doorway in awe. _She needs to stop wearing her heart on her sleeve or she's going to get hurt again._

"I don't know. Akari, let's go check it out." I looked at her and flashed a smile. "Come on, could be fun."

Akari seemed to think a moment before shaking her head. "No way, it could be dangerous. In Narnia they had an ice queen. Who knows what they have there!"

I scoffed, "Please, I'll protect you like I always do. Now, come on." I grabbed her wrist, dragging her into the door.

Excitement buzzed through me.I tried to ignore the persistent dread at the back of my mind.

* * *

**form of fencing with two-handed bamboo swords, originally developed as a safe form of sword training for samurai.**

**Purely self defense that turns opponents aggregation against him/her**

**unarmed combat derived from jujitsu and intended to train the body and mind. It involves using holds and leverage to unbalance the opponent.**

**inside fighting and simple rather than flashy**

**Hello everyone, MakaAno here! I hope you all enjoy the rewritten chapter. Honestly, I couldn't have done it without my new beta-reader, ****unseenstar223. An amazing woman, love working with her so much! Well, I hope you all tell us how you liked it through reviews. Please vote on the poll at the top of my profile.**


	2. New Adventure

Hey everyone! Please, know I am NOT fluent in Japanese or the culture of Japan so some habits and speaking patterns may not match up. If there is anyone out there reading this that would be willing to help me and my beta-reader fix these little inconsistencies, please feel free to PM me. I love pen-pals! :D Also I was on strong pain pills while writing half of this this so my apologies if it gets weird even with the help of my Beta-reader trying to set it straight.

When we finally landed through the door, the city was quiet. No one saw us drop onto the sidewalk out of nowhere, which was probably a good thing. How would I explain two random girls coming out of nowhere?

But speaking of nowhere, when I turned to look at the door, it was gone. I couldn't understand why the door disappeared. This was too freaky, but I couldn't let Akari know I was bothered. If she did, then she would freak the fuck out and this situation would be ten times worse. It would also be harder to think and deal with. As thick as blood was, if she flipped I wouldn't hesitate to lay her flat on her ass.

"Where the hell are we?" Akari mumbled. Awe was etched on her face but worry was plain in her eyes.

I hated to think I didn't know, but I honestly didn't. The area looked familiar, but nothing about it screamed at me. No time, no place, just an average quiet street that could be anywhere. It was very unsettling. Even in my travels up and down the American gulf and east coast I always at least knew the city or general area. Not knowing where we were shook my nerves. It didn't help that something in the air made my hair stand on end. It seemed like something was waiting for me. Something dangerous and unavoidable. Yet at the same time, I felt at home.

"Who knows," I stated with a forced casual tone, "Seems like a decent size city. Judging from the signs, Japan. Don't think it's a place like Tokyo or Okinawa or Hokkaido. Well maybe, could be an outskirt or somethin'."

"Real helpfull there, Sora." She growled glaring at me harshly.

"Don't glare," I commented dully as I looked up the street for a clue. "You'll get wrinkles and become an ugly old hag." To that, her glare lessened so I added, "Oh, my bad... It's already too late"

It was only when I looked down the street did I know where we were. I felt my heart leap into my throat as I took in his sturdy form. His dark hair shined in the morning light, contrasting nicely with his pale skin. I couldn't help but notice bandages and dark bruises scattered over the flesh that was exposed. He dressed for a chilly morning that I hardly noticed, with a blue hoodie that was covered by an open white jacket, dark jeans, black fingerless gloves, and white sneakers. Even with our distance apart I could tell that almost everything he wore was old and well worn. On his back was a bright red, slender bag that also seemed to glow in the light of a raising sun. He looked amazing.

I let out a slight breath. "God and spirits bless." I rubbed the side of my neck as I turned to Akari. "I think I know where we are."

My sister gave me her full attention as she demanded I tell her.

"I'll tell you in a bit. For now call to that boy down there. He speaks Japanese." I couldn't help but smile when Akari gave me a strange look before calling out to the boy.

"Hey you!" She yelled louder than necessary in Japanese, making the poor boy jump, "Stay where you are! We are coming over!"

"Wow Akari, good job freakin' him out. If you make 'im run away, I'm gonna beat you."

"Yeah, Yeah, tell me why I should go along with this. We should be tryin' to find a way home!"

"He could be our way home! The only way to get anywhere is to move forward. You need to swallow any weaknesses or insecurities you may have and move forward. Deal with whatever problem you have and accept it. A coward will never move anywhere in any life but backwards. Are you a coward?"

The blank look on my sister's face made me realize I had thrown her the same words that was thrown at me in my darkest times. When I seemed so hopeless it was like I couldn't breath and ending it all was my only choice. I never thought I would use them on someone else. This situation didn't really seem that dire either.

"Besides, there are a ton of hot guys. Let's explore this place." I finished off, knowing I couldn't erase what was already said.

Akari looked down the street at the boy that was obviously getting more annoyed and confused. Two english speaking girls that called to him then seemed to be arguing probably wasn't turning over well in his mind.

"What if there is an evil ice queen here? No number of hot guys could protect us then!"

"We'll be fine. I'll fill you in on this world later. Now, let's go!"

Akari considered a moment before sighing "Alright fine, but you better be serious about the hot guys."

"Yeah well, grow a vagaina and come on."

She rolled her eyes at one of my most used phrases as we started towards the boy. When we got there Akari and the boy gave each other skeptical looks, making the lack of trust clear.

"Who are you guys? If you're here looking for a fight I'm not in the mood." He spoke japanese, which was no surprise. Despite the lack of shock I couldn't help but be annoyed. I didn't even think he could speak English fluently. Just because I understood him doesn't mean he could understand me.

I couldn't help but notice the red that tinted the white of his eyes and the puffy bags that gave his deep blue eyes a tired look. He'd been crying. Watching the anime I never noticed that he was so grief stricken to cry through the night over the loss of his foster father. Despite that I couldn't help but notice he was cuter in 'real life' than as a drawing.

His hair that appeared navy blue in the anime, turned out to just be an extremely dark shade of black that shined dark blue in the light. His skin, that was pale for a japanese man, was actually quite tanned from working outside. His face was also of obvious asian descent but there was something about it that clearly set it apart, subtle details I couldn't put my finger on.

"You wish, Nee-chan could kick your ass up and down this street! Then after she's done, she'd still have energy and time to spare!" Akari smirked as she leaned an elbow on my shoulder, not picking up on the exhausted grief his aura held.

"Akari," I started with a sigh before he could say anything, "This is Okumura Rin. He's the child of a demon and a human. He's more powerful than you think."

I watched as her expression faltered just slightly, before stuttering, "Wh-what do you mean? A d-demon, you have to be ki-kidding." I shook my head

Rin momentarily got a pain look. Like the word akuma itself physically slapped him across the face. It was then realized she was stuck speaking Japanese as she often did after speaking it once.

"Akari," I started quietly before Rin could say anything, "You're still speakin' Japanese." When she saw the look in Rin's eyes, I continued. "Rin may be half demon, but he's still half human. And the human part is the dominant side. You should apologize and ask forgiveness."

Akari nodded and did as told.

"It's fine, I guess." He paused as he looked up over, scratching the base of his skull. "Anyway, who are you guys and why is she touching me?" The force in his voice threw me off less than his question.

When I looked, my hand rested on his arm, just above the elbow. It seemed like a gesture of comfort. But, that was if it was from a friend. Not a stranger. God and spirits, I had lost my damn mind!

I felt heat flush my face. I jerked my hand away, locking it firmly at my side.I turned my back on him, hiding my face while still standing tall. "Dumb ass, it's 'cause ya looked so fuckin' pathetic! Piss off, Blue Monkey!"

"Dumb ass? Pathetic?" Rin questioned in English. His accent would have been cute if not for my embarrassment. It was then he continued in Japanese, "Who do you think you are calling me that stuff! Besides a *busu like you with no brain or appeal-"

"Ya bastard son of a demon!" I growled. "Do ya think I don't understand ya? Yu'r nothing but a cocky, over-compensating, weak coward! Or should I say it so you understand clearly. *Yo-wa-mu-shi."

I smirked as another hurt look crossed his eyes. I hadn't spoken Japanese in years except some small, short worded insults, and I was pleased when a longer word came out properly.

Rin grabbed the collar of my old sweater, the hurt replaced with anger, and pulled me close. His face was only a breath from mine and I could smell something like smoke, sweat, and spice. I could also smell that his jacket needed to be cleaned, that or burned.

"Wan'na fight boy'o? Bring it, just don't cry when I kick your sorry ass." I made sure my tone held a condescending confidence, just so he would at least know the basic of what I said.

It was about that time, a bright ballerina pink limo almost hit us both. We broke away quickly, barely avoiding the over polished bumper, with me landing on my ass on the sidewalk and him in the street.

Akari came to my side checking for wounds and scolding me for picking a fight when a man stepped out of the limo's back.

Despite being familiar with this character, I was more than taken aback by the strangeness. Out stepped a tall lanky man with a face that reminded me of both a rat and a snake, cheering on about the weather. The weather of all things when he almost hit two people! The outfit added to his weirdness. The white mismatch yet well put together suit contrasted in every way possible. I was no fashion expert but I knew he was out of his mind when I got an up close and personal look at the white tail coat over matching jester shorts that contrasted with the pink-purple striped tights. His accessories only added to the outrageous get-up. His white top hat, pink and white spotted ascot tie, ballerina pink puff umbrella with patches in assorted patterns, dark purple pointed boots that stopped right under his knees, and white cape just screamed all levels of a flamboyant… Something.

Well this was without a doubt Mephisto Pheles.

"He's so pretty," Akari muttered quietly. Her strange taste never ceases to amaze me.

I turned and watched the clown quietly, contemplating our options, as he continued on his rambling. We could just leave, but then what would we do? There would be nowhere to go and we would be stuck here. We could just silently follow, but how? They were going to get in the car and travel through a ward. So the only option was to somehow go with them but how?

"Go up and talk to 'im." Akari's voice cut through my thoughts. "I know that look," she continued when I turned my gaze to her, "He has some importance, right? Could he be-"

"Don't!" I interjected harshly, "We don't know if he speaks English or not. So until we know, don't say anythin' to reveal who we are or where we came from. Am I clear?"

Akari gave a soft sigh before grumbling, "Transparently."

"Good, now help me think of a conversation starter."

"Fortunately for both of us you already have." An accented voice came from behind us, making us both jump a few feet into the air. When we turned to see, I saw Mephisto himself staring down at us. "So ladies, mind telling me who you are and where you came from?"

"We're ain't tellin' you nothin'!" Akari blurted, making me mentally cringe. The southern accent with a slight Japanese roll we both ended up speaking always thickened when we were under stress, it was simply embarrassing. I luckily trained most of mine out over the years. I was more worried about the fact she used a double-negative. If he was smart he would use that to pry information out of her. I had to say something, but nothing would come to mind.

"You will not tell me nothing? Then how about you tell me something and answer my question?" The damned clown had a grin on his face as his eyes bore into Akari's.

"No, all you need to know is that we must speak with you privately. We have information you may want to keep hidden and you have something we may want." I spoke quickly and pointedly to avoid any chance of emotion of any form seeping into my voice.

He hummed looking deep into my eyes. I felt like my very soul was being watched and even burned. His aura was suffocating and made me only wish to run. "Is that so, young lady?" He all but sang the question, the pitch making my legs tremble.

I bit my inner cheek roughly, the taste of blood clearing my senses again. My legs stopped shaking and I released a breath I didn't realize I held as I carefully painted on a bored look and tone. "Yes, it is. Now, we will be talking in your office at your school."

His eyes turned cold, seeming to freeze my insides like a blizzard. I forced myself to calmly hold his gaze until he laughed cheerily. I was taken off guard by the sudden out burst of laughter. I always knew he was unpredictable, that was one of his better known traits, but that was both ridiculous and terrifying!

"Of course," He shouted in Japanese, "You and your friend are welcome to come with us! Rin why didn't you tell me you had such amuzing friends?"

"Because they're not my friends." He stated blandly with a look that spoke of both irritation and confusion. I felt a glare stab at my back when I scoffed and turned to Akari.

Akari was giving me a strange look only to get irritated when I made a gesture to tell her I would explain later. After an irritated sigh she nodded. "Alright Sora, just please don't pick another fight with Rin."

"I'll try not to," I Grumbled, "But it's not my fault if he's got a flame brain. How would ya say that in Japanese?"

"Flame brain?" Akari thought a moment obviously forgetting I already knew. "Honō nō, I believe."

I wanted to see if it would provoke him in any way so I kept an eye on him. I stayed still until he looked like he was going to move towards Akari.

I was in front of him before he could move closer and punched before he could defend himself. "Do not touch 'er!" I yelled grabbing his collar so he couldn't move away. "Don't threaten 'er, don't even give 'er the stank eye! I'll peel the flesh from yu'r bones like a fuckin' onion!" I didn't care my accent thickened, nor did I care that rage flashed in his eyes as his hands fisted in the collar of my sweater. I knew that if one of us didn't back down it was going to be an ugly fight. I simply didn't care. He made a move towards someone I was honor-bound to protect.

I was vaguely aware of Akari demanding I let him go and the amused voice of the clown as we glared into each other eyes, trying to force the other back with will alone. My focus was on him alone, the character I once laughed with and cheered for through a screen. To think, I was about to fight one of my favorite show characters.

"Nii-san?" The voice sliced through the air like a rusted knife after, what seemed to be, a half hour of our battle of wills. All eyes turned to find Okumura Yukio staring at the situation in pure shock. "Nii-san, what are you doing? Who are these girls?" he demanded. He had the nerve to sound worried and panicked?

I felt my temper boil. All rage I had before now condensed into pure loathing for the boy in front of me.

;~~oO0Oo~~;

*Ugly woman

*wimp, coward

Hey everyone hope you are enjoying the rewriting so far. I will be taking a few liberties to make the story flow better, give it the depth I hope for, keep the focus where it needs to be and such. You know, writer stuff. XD So there will be moments when the characters will be OOC, please forgive and ignore. Anyway, just a reminder to say that I will not update this to chapter seven until I am done rewriting. I want to get everything straight before I continue. Don't forget to vote on the poll on my page. I would love to see what you guys think with how I have rewritten this! I hope to see you in the future.

Later MAKA OUT

One more thing! My beta reader was out with some kind of sickness for a majority of this chapter and probably the next as well so sorry for the poor writing.


	3. New Instincts

What did we do to get into this mess? My karma is not that bad is it?

That was my only thought as I sat on the rich red velvet car seat of Mephisto's stupid limo. I didn't care that I scowled at everything and everyone. Nor did I care that this was one of the greatest comforts I have ever encountered, and probably ever will.

I looked across the way to see the Okumura brothers sitting side by side, much like Akari and I are now. Yukio was studying papers while Rin had become lost in thought. I took in this opportunity to take in the younger brother.

He did look almost exactly like Rin. His skin was paler, almost sickly, and his hair wasn't as deep a black and kept shorter. He also seemed thinner, fit but thinner. The moles, that Rin lacked, dotted his face made me realize he also had a more Japanese feel to him than his brother,, though Yukio still had that un-Japanese quality in small details that I still couldn't name.

Yukio's attire spoke of a completely different person despite the similar features. Black slacks, black formal trench coat, white collar shirt, and striped tie gave him a professional look that I doubted Rin could match.

I was honestly taken off guard when Yukio adjusted his glasses and spoke. "_I'm sorry miss, but is there a reason you are staring at me with such an angry glaze?" _His tone was crisp and cold despite the polite smile on his face.

I opened my mouth to speak but before I could vocalize a sharp sting spiked in my side. I turned and glared at Akari who was glaring right back.

"Be polite," she stated with authority, "He asked ya a legit question, that deserves a legit answer. Answer 'im and I'll translate."

Something in Yukio's gaze changed. "I did not know you are not Japanese." His accent was heavy and dense when he spoke. His tone, still cold and crisp, reminded me of a sanitized hospital "Are you American? I am sorry my English is not very good but I know enough to understand."

Akari turned to him surprised, "_No, your English is actually very good. I'm sorry for my older sister's rudeness. She doesn't have very good manners."_

"_It is alright. My older brother can be the same way. I apologize on his account for whatever trouble he caused earlier."_

"_No, no, my sister is just very protective. She must have thought he was about to hurt me and punched him."_

"_That explains the bruise on his cheek. I'm sorry he can be scary."_

"_Oh he wouldn't scare her, she has fought with worse. My name is Akari Sasaki, I mean Sasaki Akari. I forgot how names are in Japan." _I watched as my sister extended her hand in greeting.

"_It's okay Sasaki-san," _I felt my skin crawl hearing our name from his lips. "_many foreigners get confused. I am Okumura Yukio." _He bowed slightly before taking her hand.

"Well, aren't you two getting along well?" As soon as the words left my mouth, I paused. It sounded like two voices. As well as two languages. Rin and I had spoken the same line, surprising everyone in the vehicle with the exception of Rin. He didn't seem to notice.

An awkward silence fell on the four us, but was broken quickly.

"_So,"_ Akari sang innocently, "_Where are we going?"_

Mephisto looked at her with a grin that screamed trouble. "_True Cross Academy,it's the most prestigious school in the country, it even has it's own town built around it, True Cross Academy Town."_ He sang, "_The Okumura boys are going on a scholarship. I'm the director."_

Her eyes widened slightly as she eyed the twins, "_Amazing."_ Her gaze turned back to Mephisto before she asked, "_So, what did you do for a job like that, kill a guy?"_

His grin widened as he let out a soft hum. "_You could say that."_

Akari's face fell and paled. She seemed to struggle with what words to say. Because of that, I put a hand on her shoulder and merely shook my head. And so, we fell into another silence.

After a while we entered a tunnel and Mephisto spoke. "_We are almost there. Here Rin, your uniform."_

Rin took the neatly folded uniform quietly, setting it on his lap. "_How much time do I have to change after we get there?_

"_None at all," _He sang happily.

"_If it makes you feel better, we can look away." _ Akari put in kindly. "_Then it wouldn't be as embarrassing."_

I watched, fascinated, as Rin's face darkened a few shades. "_Yeah, thanks."_

Akari nodded and covered her eyes nudging me in the process. I only rolled my eyes before following suit. Despite what little morals I had telling me not to, I couldn't help but look. If only to see the strength I was up against.

I can't say I wasn't surprised, I would certainly be lying. The moment he shed his upper garments my body tenced. I knew he was fit but the body before me was perfectly fit for his age. I saw barely any fat on his body. He was a perfect mix of muscle from the strength earned from fighting and fat from living. I could tell his defence lacks from the scars that littered his body. I could also tell that he probably had one hell of a punch, judging by the hills of muscles that rippled over his chest, shoulders, and arms.

Then when he shimmed out of his pant I saw his toned legs. As I watched I felt my breath slightly quicken and a knot start to form just under my stomach. It was something I was unfamiliar with. It almost seemed like a cramp, but I knew that couldn't be it. It wasn't time and it wasn't as unpleasant or painful as my usual cramps. They brought out a certain frustration and need I didn't know I had.

My father's voice echoed in my head, '_Sora, you are my son. Do not dishonor our family and yourself with ridiculous and ethereal fantasies._' I looked away from Rin and closed my eyes.

I heard the rustling of cloth as he stood to dress. I felt the heat of his body on my legs, so I knew he was in the aisle. I could feel and hear him dressing.

Then, the limo hit a bump.

I felt myself bounce off the seat, and my hands went down by my hips to steady myself. It also suddenly felt warmer and a breeze rustled my bangs. I opened my eyes and looked up only to find myself staring into beautiful blue eyes. They were as deep and dark as a the ocean on a stormy twilight. I could see a depth to them that drew me in. My cobalt eyes couldn't compare to this. I wanted to become lost in his gaze.

My gaze traveled down and I knew I must have been glowing with a cherry blush. My breath was already fast and the knot in my gut tight, but what I saw made it worse. Rin wore an unbuttoned dress shirt that showed his chest and stomach along with slacks that were still unzipped and buttoned. He was sexy, more attractive than I could put into words. When I saw that his hands were braced on the seat next to either of my shoulders and a knee braced on the seat, restricting my movements and dominating me, I lost it.

The situation clicked in my mind I instinctively took in a sharp breath. The moment I inhaled, a lump formed in my throat and I couldn't breath. I choked, letting out a series of raspy coughs that I tried to muffle with my hands. No matter how I tried, I couldn't stop them. I could only continue to muffle them. When Rin leaned in closer to me with worry painted on his face and in his voice, though I couldn't understand the words, I couldn't even do that. I coughed more, hand moving to the base of my neck as pain started to swell.

Rin turned, said something, then moved letting Yukio take his place. When the bastard moved closer I put my free hand on his chest to keep him away. Unfortunately, my arm was too weak so he easily moved it to the side and started checking my over and asking Akari questions. I was just clear headed enough to understand.

"_Has this happened before?"_

"_Does she have any lung conditions?"_

"_How about anxiety?"_

She wouldn't know, we went through puberty apart from each other in more ways than one. "_I don't think so" _was all she could answer. When he laid his hand on my forehead to feel for a fever, I grabbed his wrist and almost broke it as I yanked it away.

I held it tightly until I had enough air to say shakily and perhaps too loudly, "I'm fine, do not touch me! I'll break yu'r fuckin' hand!"

He watched me as I let him pull his hand away. We both knew there would be bruises. Then, there was a giggle. I turned to see Mephisto with a fan covering his lower face.

"_How interesting, fighting one minute flirting the next. Oh, young love is such a complicated thing! Rin why don't you finish getting dressed now?"_

"Finish dressing, or do I need to dress you like a child?" I grumbled the line quietly but two eyes turned to me surprised. When Rin realized his dressing he finished quickly with an impressive speed . He sat as far away from us as he could as he finished buttoning his shirt and pulled on his jacket.

I focused on evening my breathing and silent meditating as Akari's head fell on my shoulder watching the lights from the tunnel pass. it was when I heard her gasp and felt her sit straight that I knew we were on the outskirts of the after, I payed attention to the people in the limo.

_"Very nice,"_ the clown commented, _"I wouldn't expect you to know how to properly tie a tie."_

That pained look entered his eyes again and the air became tense. I knew why and it made my heart ache. I wished to have met Father. His image and actions always reminded me of a pastor I met long ago, before my Grandfather disappeared. I remembered training his sons that were my age at the time some, on his request. They were amazingly kind and had us stay for dinner and the older brother cooked and allowed me to watch. It was the first time I trained someone on my own and also the first time I saw someone cook so happily. I knew I would never forget that day.

"_Yeah," _Rin mumbled quietly "_I can be full of surprises."_ It was only now, living the situation, I saw Yukio adjust his glasses and study the papers more intently than before. The bastard heard the pain and regret in Rin's voice, yet he did nothing. He let Rin suffer and betrays him! How Yukio could still have the gall to call him brother with a right mind is beyond me. The same goes for Rin after Yukio betrays him.

We stepped out of the car and I stretched, popping my back and shoulders. I watched quietly as Rin and Akari gawked at the school and Yukio conversed with Mephisto.

_"Yukio,"_ Mephisto said happily, _"I presume you know where to go?"_

_"Yes Faust-san, I do,"_ Yukio answered with chilled confidence.

Mephisto gave a small nod of approval. _"Then have an excellent opening ceremony. Good luck, boys. Rin I'll need to speak with you later today." _They nodded, said there thanks and good byes, then walked away. Mephisto turned to us with a shit-eating grin. "Follow me, girls."

He turned walking to one of the building's entrances. Unfortunately for us, my temper got the best of me. "Couldn't ya just use one of yu'r damn keys? I don't feel like lettin' you get us lost accidentally-on-purpose. Just save us the trouble and pull out the damn things."

Mephisto's gift turned demonic as he reached into a pocket. "Certainly..."

He made his way to the nearest door, pulling a key on a long, retractable cord from under his cape. The damn clown made a show of putting the key into the keyhole and turning it. Then, with a malevolent smile said, "Please, come onto my office."

**It's not as long as the last one and I still am without a beta reader, but hey! Two updates in one night! It's a fucking record! :D Green tea and music are amazing motivators. It helps I just started a break so I'll have more time to work on the updates but scholarships are a thing as well. If I don't get more I'll get kicked out of college… On a brighter note, I did change this chapter quite a bit and change the scenes a lot. I hope you all still enjoy this and liked the peek into Sora's past and psychology. Please Review! I love hearing back from you guys and getting advice and feedback.**

**Later MAKA OUT!**


	4. New Deals

I was certainly in the best position that any other human could imagine. I was about to face a powerful demon with fatigue drowning my mind. Because of this, I was stupidly courageous and irritable. I was even more pissed off than I usually would be. I would have killed for a drink.

At the moment, standing in Mephisto's office, I definitely could have done anything for that drink. Watching Mephisto eye us like a new breed of insect with that evil glint in his eye. I could easily imagine he was considering killing us where we stood. Akari stood just slightly behind me, pretending to know what was going on. I just glowered at the demon.

Mephisto prepared to speak but I curtly cut him off saying, "Let's get this straight here and now. I know who you are, what you are, what you can do, and been doing. If you want all of that to stay a secret, you will follow our demands. Do you understand?"

I waited a beat and when he didn't answer, only had a blank look. I continued. "First, you will enroll us into the cram school. With that, in the privacy of this office we will have a Masho for my sister and me. Second, we will be staying in the Okumura building one the opposite side. We will have privacy at all times unless we specify otherwise. Third, if needed we will be free to leave at anytime to anywhere. With this stipulation, you will give us both an Infinity Key. If you do not follow any of these our deal is off."

"Now young lady, why should I do any of that?" His voice was cold as ice and I felt a shiver flee down my spine. He was trying to intimidate me?

I painted on a polite smile and spoke in a sugar-sweet voice. "Because we won't just tell the school. We won't just tell the exorcists. We will also tell the Vatican. We will go to the Grigori and tell them everything you plan and have been up to. We will be sure to mention all the under the table and back alley deals, what you plan for your new brother, and the interesting details about the Demon King of Earth. I believe his name was Amaimon, am I right?"

Something dangerous flashed in his eyes. He knew that I wouldn't hesitate to follow through on my words, he knew well it was a serious the small momentary change in his eyes, his face and composure was cold and reserved.

It's always the silent ones that you must watch. The lesson I was never given a chance to forget echoed in my mind. The demon in front of me was obviously a force to be reckoned with. I couldn't tell if I pissed him off, which I probably did. I felt intimidated by him. I barely kept my legs from trembling.

I would not bow to him! No man like him would hold power over me!

I used my resolve to shove my instinct and fear away. I knew that's what he wanted. I couldn't allow myself to quake in fear just because I wasn't on my own turf. I had been in worse situations.

"You do know that is a lot of demands for something so small?" Oh shit, I thought as he watched me. Here came the real kickers. "I will be evening the score with my own demands, if you do not mind. Of course you don't!" He laughed then paused to grab a paper and pen. His words instantly set off a red light in my mind. What could he possibly want from us? Is it going to be something so stupid I lose my cool because of it? I can't give him power over us! Or, will it be something serious and heavy? Like our souls or something? No, that's ridiculous. But then again, With Mephisto Pheles you never know. He's so unpredictable it's annoying and keeps most watchers on edge. So that comes back to the original question. What the fuck does this fucking clown want from us?

"So," he started cheerily as he wrote, "You want me to privately give you and your sister a Masho, enroll you two in Cram school, give you a room in the abandoned dormitory, ensure privacy and freedom, and give up two Infinity Keys that I assume you want to have unlimited uses of. If I can not follow through with any of these demands, you will reveal all of your information to all the people I do not want to know. Is that right?" When I gave a hesitant nod he continued.

His voice was heavily serious now. It sent a shiver down my spine. "In return, you will of course keep my secrets secret. This will be for the Masho. For the Cram School enrollment, you will attend my academy and keep at least a B average. For the room, you will keep an eye on the Okumura brothers. For the key, if I need you, you will respond and go where I need you within ten minutes of my call. And for your privacy and freedom, shall we call it a favor? And if you fail in any of these I will call for another favor."

"No we will not give a fav'ar to ya! I accept it as a penalty, not a price!" I hissed, hands fisting at my side.

"Then Sasaki-kun," he purred, with his patience visibly slipping, "What would you prefer the price be?"

"The secrets is the price for our privacy and freedom as well as our Masho. We know you have some serious juice."

He nodded in acknowledgment "Alright then, let's get started." After counting in German, he snapped his fingers, making two uniforms appear in a puff of pink smoke. They landed in Akari's and my arms and I realized that they were both girls uniform. I probably wouldn't have minded it, if it wasn't for the pink skirt and pink accent on the blazer. At least the blazer itself was a creamy beige color with an okay school crest and the tie was a tie and not a fucking boe.

I was glaring at the uniform when it suddenly changed to black slacks, a matching blazer with the same school crest. The tie was neatly laid on top of the folded uniform. I noted the black and red strips that covered a majority of the tie, the rest of it was black with a silver embroidered kanji with the style of a flame. "For encouragement, you see," Mephisto's voice was surprisingly soft when it drifted to my ears. "I want a B-average from you and your sister both, Sasaki-kun, I want you two to be at least slightly content in the school."

I could only blink in surprise. The softness in his voice was so out of character. I didn't know why. That scared me more than I could explain. He had to be planning something.

"So we do not mess up your uniforms, we will be doing your Masho here and in your own clothing." Mephisto started as he stood. I nodded in agreement and set my uniform on a near-by chair.

As Akari did the same she spoke irritably . "Will someone care to explain what a Masho is?"

"You'll find out in a minute." At her pissed look I sighed, "I promise to explain everythin' later, deal?"

At her curt nod, mephisto performed the masho.

;~~oO0Oo~~;

After it was done and our small wounds were treated, I turned back to Mephisto. "Remember yur end of the deal and we will remember ours. Also going through the day without a chaperone is part of the deal so don't even think of doing anything of the sort. We will probably be seeing each other often. So until then, nice doing business with ya." I turned picking up my uniform and walked. "Come on Akari."

I was almost out the door when I heard Akari's rushed voice. "I hope ya know that's an awesome outfit and yur so pretty and seem totally awesome and I really, really, really want to know if-" She jumped when I yelled her name. "What?" she asked dumbly.

"Ya want to know the truth or not? Move yur ass or it's bein' left!" I continued on and smirked when I heard her boots slapping the floor behind me and the door slam. I used everything I could to ignore the shiver down my spine as eyes stabbed my back.

;~~oO0Oo~~;

Mephisto turned in his chair to look out at the academy he created."She's sharp, just like her grandfather. I look forward to seeing if she's the one. You should be proud, old friend." The demon then remembered a long standing oath that still bound him. "They seem to have grown well. Though, the older seems like she will be quite troublesome. But, I would gladly take the inconvenience. If only to reveal who the true successor is. You won't tell me who it is though, will you?"

"Perhaps when I know what you would want her for." An old sturdy but withered man stepped from the shadows as he spoke and Mephisto turned to face him. "They have grown so much and are so different from the last time I saw them. Sora-kun still has bartering skills of both her mother and grandmother though. Clever girl."

Mephisto chuckled quietly. "Yes, too clever. You would do well not to interfere until your time though. Also, keep your soft spot tightly sealed. A test is not a test if the answers are given."

"You better not push either of them to far then. Despite their heritage they are still human. If you kill them my wrath will make you yearn for the flames of hell's damnation!" The glare on the old man's face promised just that. For a moment Mephisto was stricken by how much the two humans looked alike.

The demon gave a sigh, "Of course, old friend. You still have my word from both Fujimoto-kun and I years ago. You should also remember a demon's word is his bond. I'm stuck with that oath until it is fulfilled."

The man gave a satisfied nod before he strode out with the same crisp air as the girl before.

Mephisto turned to the window once again to contemplate his situation. When he notice the twin girls walking one of the many paths the demon couldn't hold back the devious grin. He was excited as to what would come next.

;~~oO0Oo~~;

**Yo everyone! All of my readers that knew the original chapter five might notice the different pacing and added views and character. If you can I would love for you all to comment or PM me and tell me what you think. I am have having new plans for this series and would love the feed back!**

***Uncle voice* One more thing! Thank you for all the favs and follows! I love you all and have tried to get back to all of you to thank you over PM but can't always. So on that note! The writer **lightwithinthedark **thank you so much for the fav and follow! I hope to see you in the reviews so I know what you think/like/dislike about the story. Also I would totally read **Strike Goddess **if I had my own computer and the time to read it! College you know?**

**One more time thank you everyone please review and vote on the poll. **

**Later MAKA OUT!**


	5. New Annoyance

"Will you tell me now?" Akari ask irritably.

I ignored her as I walked along one of the trails. When she started a mantra, I almost hit her.

"Tell me, now. Tell me, now. Tell me, now."

When I continued to ignore her she switched languages. French, Japanese, German, Spanish, Russian. Dis-moi maintenant. Ima oshiete. Sag es mir jetzt. Dimelo ahora. Skazhite , seychas. Any way she could think to say it she said it. She even said it in the native language of our mother! Soon enough I snapped.

I turned on her sharply. "Akari! Shut the hell up! No one can be around when I tell you! Do you understand? Damn, you know how annoying that fucking line is? It's like me poking your fucking mole every five seconds! I know that makes you want to knock the shit out of someone! So shut the fuck up and wait!"

Two girls walked by, paused to stare, then hurried on whispering once the saw my glare. I knew they were from an upper class family from the way they carried themselves and muttered gossip. I let out a huff in their direction for good measure before turning to Akari.

"Let's find a place to change into our uniforms. We look like street trash." Akari said quietly.

It took me a moment to realize she was right. I looked down at my outfit. I saw my old, too-big, black, pullover hoodie that had faded to an unattractive gray. Its sleeves had long since been ripped off for easier movement but it still hid an old stained tank top that didn't fit quite right. When I held down the hoodie's baggy belly, I saw old, cut off jeans that were too short. They were layered over a pair of circuit patterned leggings that screamed with bright ugly neon colors and cut off little above my knees. On my feet were black socks and old, beat-up, brown combat boots. I also duly noted I still wore my black fingerless gloves.

"I don't look too bad," I muttered looking at Akari's 'Supernatural' graphic t-shirt that was knotted at the small of her back, colorful studded belt that was designed to paint the picture of skulls and roses, well-worn jeans, and combat boots. I frowned. "Maybe," I finished in a quiet mutter.

"I think I saw a building back there that should have a restroom." Akari said turning to head back down the path.

"If you lead us to nowhere, I hope you know, I will be pissed." I hissed following her. I knew that my dear sister had very little directional skill. It was to the point I wouldn't trust her to find a bathroom in her own one bedroom apartment! None the less on a large campus we have never set foot on.

We eventually found the building and, to my surprise, a clean bathroom. As Akari rushed into a stall I checked behind the other pastel pink doors and was happy to see it was clear of strangers.

I leaned on the marble countertop, staring down passed my uniform at the white tiled floors. I listened as Akari changed clothing and hum as I changed. I pulled my iPod out of my pocket along with my hat, lock-picking kit, blue and purple handkerchief, and knife from my other pockets and set them on the counter before I stripped off my sweater, shorts, leggings, and footwear. I left on my tank top over the black bra and underwear in hopes that the stained white would hide the black when I put on the dress shirt. I was adjusting the ill-fitting top to cover more when Akari stepped out.

I looked over her and had to look away, trying to ignore the heat in my face. Akari's blazer was fitting but modest. The beige and pink blending with the white blouse to make a boring color combination. At least it was the traditional tie and not a hulking bow I saw on some on the other girls. What concerned me was her skirt,the pastel pink cloth was far to short! I was more than willing to bet a gust of wind would have shown off her panties to everyone.

I felt her eyes rake over my body to the point like I was being sized up before a fight. "If ya wan'na scrap let me know. Don't do it in that thing you call a skirt."

I was satisfied to see her reflection flush red and tug at her skirt as I dressed. I was surprised to find the slacks fit, just being slightly baggy around the waist. I had to buy a belt later. For the moment, I just used my handkerchief to pull three belt loops closer together and, in turn, tightening the waist band. The dress shirt was also baggy but it fit well considering I was a girl in a boys shirt, so I just tucked it into my pants. When I shrugged on the coat I quickly noticed I couldn't button it all the way so I opted for leaving it open.

I was trying to remember how to tie the tie when Akari leaned against the counter with an expectant look. "Now, will you spill the beans?"

I let out a soft sigh, letting the silken cloth hang around my neck. "Alright fine, this is how I figure it. We are in a show called Blue Exorcist. I watched it a few times so I know it pretty well. Apparently that door dragged us here like some Narnia shit. We should try not to get too involved in anything. If we do alter the flow of things it could cause trouble."

Akari was silent a long moment. We merely stared at each other until she huffed. "You're kidding me."

"Oh yeah, I would totally bull shit this just to get a laugh." I stated blandly as I pulled out my iPod and unlocked it. I flipped through my videos, mindlessly ranting about the situation being a lie and a joke, until I found the clip I wanted. I turned the device to show her a scene that we saw not long ago but slightly different. I listened as Rin was almost hit by a car, Mephisto spoke, Yukio arrived and Mephisto sending them off.

I replaced my iPod in my pocket when the clip ended and Akari stared at where it was held. I showed a challenging smirk when akari finally turned her gaze on me. It's obvious she didn't want to believe me. My smirk widened when she groaned in defeat

"We're in an anime? Sweet Creator, how is this possible?" I could see her frustration and disbelief growing as she threw here head back and groaned again. She looked to me like a child being told he had to share a toy with a younger sibling. How annoying.

I couldn't help but sigh at the realization that we are so different. I wanted to explore the world despite saying we shouldn't interfere. My logic screamed at me not to. It also said that there had to be a reason for there to be other worlds like this when alternat universes did not exist, but I know there are somethings that can not be explained. Despite that realization part of me still knew there was a reason that there was, in fact, a reason I was here.

I couldn't help the sigh that ezcaped my lungs with a small prayer of, "Creator, please send me gaudance" as I looked at my sister who was without a doubt a yang to my yin. "Do you have any other questions before we go?"

"Yeah, actually I do." She lifted her head to look at me again. "You have obviously watched this before, so is it a good anime at least? I mean, if it is like Nabari No Ou I swear I am going to kill myself. I can't handle that stress in my life again."

Only if we're lucky. "Well, it's no Fairy Tail but its not that bad. Eveyone is friends and they sing and dance together and the ending is sweet and cuddly."

"You're making fun of me aren't you? Whatever, don't answer that! Just tell me if it's that bad or not?" The growl in her voice suprised me, but also reminded me of a stray kitten I saw once. It was injured and lost so I took care of it until it was well enough to take care of itself. She reminded me of that bad tempered first meeting

Because of the fond memories I shuffled through my memories of the anime and shook my head. "No it's an okay anime with no super emotional parts."

"Alright, then let's go and get to class, you can fill me in the rest of the way later." Akari muttered, momentarily content as she head for the door.

I stuffed what would fit in the pocket of my slacks then the rest into my hoody pocket before following her, holding my old clothing folded in my arms.

Hey everyone Maka here! I have some amazing news, I HAVE THIRTY FOLLOWERS ON THIS STORY! How awesome that this army is growing!

But with that is some sad news. My beta readers health has taken a major downward spiral so I will be needing someone to act as my beta reader. You will have to be able to work through google drive and be comfortable with me bouncing ideas off you and working on whatever issues you have seen in the past chapters. So please, PM me if you are interested.

Thank you friends.

MAKA OUT


	6. New Distaste

Rin walked along one of the many foot-paths the school had to offer as transit after being separated from his brother and waiting for the entrance ceremony to start. He was going to explore the school campus more but he found his thoughts drawn elsewhere so he couldn't admire the extravagant campus. In his mind he saw brown hair with strips of blue that framed a face with a dark complexion and cold blue eyes. He didn't catch her first name but knew that her surname was Sasaki from when the other girl, who was not so obviously her twin, introduced herself to his brother. The more he thought about the more curious he didn't matter that Yukio himself didn't like her and warned him, Rin the older brother, to stay away from her.

She was infuriating, insulting him for no reason after acting weird. The fight they almost got into was not his fault. She was cocky, too above anyone to speak Japanese even though she obviously understood it! He had to respect the protective instinct for her little sister though. His chin ached still from the well placed punch she gave when she misinterpreted his movement to ask her sister what the hell the older one issue was as a threat. He couldn't say he wouldn't have done the same. He refused to accept her calling him a coward! He didn't know how she knew that would get to him nor did he know how they knew exactly how to get to him.

Those cold eyes flashed in his mind again. They were the same color as the streaks she put in her hair. They were lighter than his eyes yet they seemed deep and to be hiding a pain. Pain was something he was familiar with. He saw hers through the walls and fatigue. He paused and for a moment, he wondered about the scars in her eyes.

Rin growled at himself. He couldn't believe he was concerned about a woman that wanted to hurt him. Then again he was worried about her in the limo. He remembered her dark face turning pale with every cough. He couldn't explain why that made his heart ache with worry. He debated a moment before deciding it was that he was just a good person. It was normal for any decent person to be worried.

He then remembered right before the coughing fit.

~~;oO0Oo;~~

Rin knew his face was still dark with blush as he began to undress. Yukio still studied his papers, Mephisto watched the lights pass by and the girls had their eyes covered. Despite this, he still felt awkward and watched.

His gaze shifted to the girls, watching as they sat still. He thought nothing of it when the younger, Akari, took in a deep breath and released it slowly. It was only when he was half naked, in only his underwear that strange things started happening.

The older girl seemed to start having a hard time breathing. He knew he should have taken action to see if she was okay, especially when she adjusted in the seat and turned to face away from him. He just wanted to be dressed first.

When the car hit the bumb, he lost his balance. He stumbled, trying to grab something to hold on to. He didn't know how he managed to get into the position he was in. Staring down into the stranger's eyes, a knee between her legs and hands by her shoulders was a position he never imagined he would be in with a stranger.

Looking into the eyes of a stranger, Rin felt something stir inside him. He felt hatred and the desire to possess. She was something to be avoided. But something overshadowed that, something stronger. Something confusing. He could only stare, even as he felt her knees squeeze his leg as if she was afraid. He could only stare into her eyes though. He knew she had no fear.

He was entranced by bright blue eyes that had hidden so much. He recognized the walls from seeing his own in the mirror. He watched as those blue eyes drifted down over his body and tried to ignore the smell of cheap men's shampoo that mingled with something sharp. In that moment he was both disappointed and relieved that he had on clothing, as open as they may be. It was when her eyes darkened that stuck out the most in his mind.

Rin couldn't remember ever seeing eyes darken like that before. It was a beautiful mystery to him. The mystery stirred more feelings than before, along with more questions.

It was immediately after that when she took in a sharp breath followed by coughing.

~~;oO0Oo;~~

Now that he thought back he knew the smell. It was the smell of ginger with a tinge of mint and lemon. A family friend used to make a tea that smelled something like that when he and his wife would visit. Sometimes they would even bring his two granddaughters. More often he would only bring his oldest granddaughter who was always the bully of the group. Rin was never a fan of the taste of the tea, but enjoyed the smell. He briefly wondered if Sora made it as well.

His mind then wandered to Sora's health. He wondered about her health and why she started coughing the way she did. Why didn't Akari know about her health? Rin knew everything about Yukio. He knew his dreams, fears, habits, dislikes and favorites. Yukio was the same with him, so he believed, until recently. The thought sent a knife of guilt stabbing through him. Yet Akari didn't seem to know anything about her sister. That thought confused him without question.

Everything about these girls were confusing to him. How they knew who he was, what they needed to talk to Mephisto about, where they came from, and what they wanted. He knew that he should stay away from the darker sister. At the same time something about her was so intoxicating. He wanted to know more about her, to find answers to all of his own questions. he wanted to know why, when she touched him, he felt his heart skip and knot. He wanted to say it was simply disgust but somehow knew that it wasn't the case. He had never felt this way before.

Rin watched as a leaf fell from a wind blown tree and into his path in front of him. As he watched the leaf be swept away something caught his eye. On another path he saw the twin girls walking along another path. The were speaking English so he didn't understand but assumed it was something serious. They were close enough that he watched as Akari paled and the older nodded, but far enough away he couldn't hear them speak. That or they were just really quiet.

Rin walked through a patch of grass to catch them. As he came up behind them he noticed that the girls were wearing True Cross Academy uniforms and each carrying their old clothing in their arms. With that, Rin noticed that the older girl's hair was still down, brushing her bottom, and that she was wearing a man's uniform. How strange, he thought, I bet she would look cute in a girl's uniform though.

He put a hand on each of their shoulder's only to barely block a fist before it collided with his nose. The older twin glared at Rin, her clothing on the ground behind her in a forgotten heap.

"Oh" She hummed dully then continued to say something in the same dull tone. Rin glared as she pulled her fist away and stick her hands in her pocket, knowing that she had somehow insulted him again. His suspicion was confirmed when Akari snapped at Sora who just rolled her eyes.

Akari stepped in front of her sister. _"Sorry for Sora's rudeness. She just doesn't know how to hold her tongue."_ She was interrupted by a scoff but continued on as if she never noticed. "I hope you will forgive her."

Sora hissed something at Akari and shoved her out of the way. She said a phrase that Rin heard from her before. "Blue monkey," She said then pointed towards the main building and said a word he did know "Go!"

At this Rin growled._ "Make me!_" With these words he unknowingly puffed out his chest as he glared down at her from his four inch advantage. When the girl smirked , he did all he could not to waver.

At words he didn't understand, Rin's gaze flicked to Akari. _"She said, 'are you sure you want me too?'"_

Rin looked at the two of them glaring more _"`Meiku mī'"_

The moment the last syllable left his lips, Sora was on him. A single brisk punch to the face sent him falling back in surprise more than pain. The moment his back hit pavement Sora sat on his chest and pulled his ear sharply, speaking with a bland tone. "Do you surrender," Akari translated.

Rin stared in shocked, blinking at the girl above him. Her blue eyes were bland like her voice and seemed to look deep into his eyes to his soul. It disturbed him, especially when Sora spoke again before standing and walking away.

Akari watched her sister go quietly and helped Rin up when she was out of sight. _"I'm sorry for her rudeness…"_ Akari almost whispered the words but Rin heard them, loud and clear.

_"It's okay,"_ he said watching where Sora left, _"I had that coming and I didn't understand what she said anyway."_

**~~;A NOTE OF WHAT WAS SAID;~~**

"How lame. You were my favorite character, but now I see you are nothing compared to what I thought you were. Hope you never cross me again, weakling."

* * *

Hey everyone fast update YAY even though it is short. I played with the point of view this time so tell me what you think! So I have two Important things.

1) I am still needing a beta reader so feel free to volunteer if you are interested. I will be reviewing your profile and any stories (if you have any) before I make the final decision.

2) I still have a poll up on my profile and only three votes. Go and tell me who you think should end up together in this story. I will be refreshing this at chapter ten.


	7. New Class

"Why did you do you do that?" Akari scolded as we skipped the entrance ceremony. We had decided to instead wander the school grounds farther to get the basic lay out. "That was stupid and you could have hurt 'im! I thought you cared for 'im!"

"I do not care for anyone!" I cut her off quickly, barely containing my anger. She had no right to judge me! "Besides, I know he can fight. Even the weakest street fighter knows to watch for a jab like that but he was just all talk! He should find himself lucky that I only tapped him instead of knocking the shit out of him like I wanted to! I can't believe the main guy of this anime is so weak." I tried to keep my rant quiet and to myself but unfortunately Akari did hear.

"He was being a boy. You as a small girl insulted his pride somehow. It's only natural that he tried to defend it right."

I knew she was trying to be rational and I should have respected that but I could stop the offhanded comment of, "What would you know about pride?" I immediately regretted it.

"Excuse me?" She yelled, clearly outraged. "Sorry Miss I-trained-with-old-martial-arts-instructors-all-my-life, I didn't realize that you had to be a master at Karate and Judo to understand pride! I am still the child of two proud cultures! I know what pride is!"

"Akari," I started quietly, trying to avoid the headache of more anger, "That's not what I meant. My apologies for even saying it. Besides, I'm not a master. I'll be one when I am on the same level as Sensei and that will never happen."

"You better be sorry! I can't believe you!" She stated with a huff, finally calming down. "Do you know where the dorm we will be staying at is?"

"Maybe it's time to finally give the Keys a try." I pulled out the small golden key, looking at the detail. I indulged myself by gently running my thumb over the details on the bow and the smoothness of the shaft. Every ridge and valley made of gold was cool to the touch and oddly comforting. The semi-solid metal in my hand brought a happiness that I couldn't explain until I remembered something Arie told me long ago. Gold was believed to bring wealth, happiness and feelings of comfort. I do believe in the power of stones and elements, but Arie's belief was more of a stretch. Nothing would give you its energy for free and without permission. I wonder how you repay a stone for it's energy. The same as repaying a plant for a part? But that makes no sense. I wish I could ask Mother, but she would probably not talk to me anymore especially after our last conversation. Why did I even say that?

"Hey!" Akari's voice cut through my thoughts like a jagged knife. "I said are you going to open the door or should I?" On her face was a look mixed with worry and impatient irritation.

"Oh," I muttered, feeling my face flush, "Sorry, I got lost in thought, you know?"

"Yeah, well there is a door right over there. You can use the key in that right? Kinda like that old Halloween movie?"

I gave her a cold look, stopping her before she rambled further. "I have no idea what you're talking about but yes, we can use that door. Just make sure no one is watching."

Akari gave a small nod, turning away as I began to unlock the door. When I pulled the door open I looked into the somber hall that mimicked the look of a Catholic church with dark wooden floors, maroon painted walls and tall slender stain glass windows. I noted the signs next to all of the doors saying the room number like schools in america I vaguely remember attending.

"It's open," I muttered, "Come on let's go." We walked into the area quietly as I tried remembering the proper room number. When I found it, I couldn't hold back the smile as I stepped into the small dusty room. It was amazing to see a room I had seen many times through a screen come to life.

The dusty classroom seemed like a church, like the rest of the building. The nine tables that would sit two people each, were arranged in three rows of three. This made the small room seem like a mockery of a grand church, its pews being tables and grand art being worn beige walls.

"Akari, there is something I want to clear up with you okay?" When she nodded and sat on a table top I continued, "If this place really is following a specific time line then we can't affect it or everyone may die. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, I got that but can you atleast explain why?" She questioned both curious and worried. "Tell me about this world."

"Are you sure you want to know? Alright well here is the basics. In this universe there are two planes of existence. The realm we are in right now and the demon realm. We are going to become exorcists and fight the demons to have easy access to magic and information that can lead us home. The main threat here is Satan, the title should be obvious, and a corrupt grandpa."

Akari gave a curt nod and probed for more information, so I gave her more. I told her about the exorcists and their hierarchy. I explained Rin's demon father being a secret and that his mother died in childbirth. I even explained why Yukio didn't have demonic powers, leaving out the bull-shit ending of Yukio gaining demoic powers by drawing Rin's sword. I explained many odds and ends of the universe until I heard the door open.

I didn't bother to stand from my seat on the desktop, but Akari still stood and observed the people entering with interest. I couldn't tell why I was surprised by who entered first.

I watched as an angry looking punk boy walk in with two other people. They all seemed to be close friends, seeing as they were talking and joking around. The main two that were talking were the ones behind the punk. The leader I recognized immediately with his dark hair that had a streak of blonde down the middle, the furrowed eyebrows, and strong build. He was Ryuji Suguro, otherwise known as Bon and my favorite character next to Rin. Behind him were Renzou Shima and Konekomaru Miwa. Shima, the flirt, had pink hair that I always thought to be too gaudy and annoying especially as he flirted with almost every girl one way or another, totally forgetting he's supposed to be a monk over half the time. Then there was Koneko, the genius of this class with the small stature and bald head, his quiet nature wasn't worth noticing but his ability to come up with plans and strategies made him important in multiple parts of this series.

It was best to stay on their good side if we want a smooth path. At least, I thought so until Bon shot a harsh glance over Akari and I.

I could have bitten through my tongue and still said, "Got a problem Skunk-Face?" I was really hoping he didn't understand English when he turned on me, glare sharp and snarl curling his lip.

I could see him open his mouth to say something when Akari smoothly slid between us, interjecting in buttery Japanese. "Please excuse my sister, she just hasn't had her Twinkie yet. My name is Sasaki Akari. But you, my sexy friend, can call me whatever you like."

About that time is when Shima pushed his way around Bon. "What about me?" He asked in a flirtatious wiggle of his eye brows. Spirits have mercy, I'm going to be sick!

Akari gave a thoughtful hum as she looked him over. "You, my fine fellow, can call me."

Spirits have mercy! I quickly grabbed her firmly by the ear, digging my none existent nails in to emphasize the point. "Enough," I hissed in English. I have gone this long without that bastards tongue, I won't start using it now! "Stop flirting with it! It will only come back like a stray cat!"

"Well it's a good thing I think cats are cute." I glared at Akari as she ignored me and shoved past. She was, once again in front of me, smiling flirtatiously. I haven't killed her yet for what reason? Oh yes, she's my sister.

"Mind if I sit with you guys?" I groaned in annoyance, which she ignored.

I could only glare as they left to sit at the middle and last desks of the third row. I refused to take part in such stupid chatter, so I walked to the other end of the room. I took my seat closest to the wall in the first row at the very back.

From my perch I watched my classmates enter. First it was two girls. One was obviously very proud with long black hair in twintails pulling hair back from a stoic face with bangs clipped to hang just above trimmed eyebrows and violet eyes full of humor. Next to her was a girl with brown eyes and brown hair cut in a short bob-cut who was laughing. Then it was a person in black sweets with the hood pulled low over his face, then a tired looking boy with shaggy blond hair and closed eyes and playing with a pink puppet.

Soon after everyone was settled, Rin walked in and awkwardly introduced himself. I watched as he tried to play it cool by casually walking to the closest seat and flopping down. He looked around with a bored look. I looked away, watching from the corner of my eye, as his eyes fell on me. I couldn't keep my cheeks from warming.

Even if he wasn't everything I thought he was, I couldn't deny that he was attractive! Pastel skin, ebony hair and deep, dark, blue eyes always got me. Everything complemented but also contrasted. Then there was that fit body that was practically perfect. The nice tone that I wanted to feel. Whether it be through a fight or simple touch, I would love to feel either way.

I remembered the "incident" that happened in the limo and used the collar of my blazer to hide my embarrassment. I recalled his eyes staring deeply into mine and the heat from his body over mine and couldn't help my wandering mind.

His eyes would glance away shyly. His eyes would meet mine again as a hand gently caressed my cheek, the simple touch sending shivers down my spine. Our lips would meet with ease and I would feel the smooth plains of his torso as his tail wrapped around my arm. Because of the touch, I would switch to feeling the fluffy tip of his demon tail. It would draw out a sound that would make me smirk happily.

No! I had to stop these thoughts! It wasn't my place and I shouldn't be interested anyway! I had to stop being an idiot. That was forbidden territory and a line I shouldn't cross. I shouldn't lust for a boy, especially one from another world.

Due to my embarrassment I laid my head down on the table as if I was napping and used my arms as a shield. Because of this I didn't see the teacher walk in, but I definitely heard him.

"Pleased to meet you," a familiar voice said, "I am Okumura Yukio, your instructor."

There he is, the lying bastard of a brother.


	8. New Friends?

I quietly listened to the scene play out in front of me.

Rin exclaimed Yukio's name in a stuttering shock. Yukio enquired about a problem. Rin shouted about there being a problem, only to be brushed off by his baby brother. That cold bastard.

Yukio continued on with the lesson, only glancing over my arm when Yukio asked about a Masho. I couldn't hold back the snicker when Mr. Hoodie's hand went up.* If only they knew.

"That's all?" Yukio's voice dragged me back. I listened as he started the explanation and one of the girls upfront freak. How typical, I forgot that happened.

"Hey, Yukio!" Rin's voice echoed through the air, his anger growing. I heard his chair clatter on the floor.

"Class is in session," Yukio regarded him coldly. "Would you please sit down." Spirits have mercy! I know Yukio is a dick and that he treats Rin like shit, but it's so different to see and hear it in person. I could feel the chill in the air grow as Rin demanded his brother's attention again and again.

Yukio finally responded with a simple "What do you want to talk about?" I was willing to bet the tone froze the already chilled room. Despite this my anger swelled to extremes.

"Don't play dumb!" Rin demanded angrily.

With that Yukio finally gave and instructed everyone to leave. Once there all I did was pace and rant, not caring who heard or understood.

;~~o0O0o~~;

Akari sat on the floor watching her twin steam. She didn't understand what was going on like she did ,and that may have pissed her off, but she knew enough to understand why Sora was mad. Their grandfather, who always favored Miss Perfect Sora, always preached to protect your family. The idea of turning on your family was scorned. Turning on you twin was practically taboo. That's probably only reason she ever met her twin again. Akari had never really listened to the old man's lectures, but she knew her other half took every word to heart. The little overachiever who always fished for everyone's attention made her devotion to her grandparents very clear from an early age.

The younger twin turned to watch as the boy with a pink mop of hair crouched down next to her.

"Hey," he greeted with a flirtatious smile and wiggle of the eyebrows that quickly had Akari grinning. Akari noted as he spoke English his accent was better than most his age, but still slow and choppy. "So, you speak Japanese?"

Akari gave a small laugh and nodded, easily speaking in her father's tongue. "Yes, I do. Our father is a Japanese business man based in America. Our mother is American. He always wanted us to speak Japanese at home so we would would be closer to our heritage. So don't worry, may Japanese is pretty good."

"Oh, so you're an American?" He asked slightly awed, "I have never actually met one before. I thought that all Americans were caucasian though and you are awfully quiet."

Akari could only raise an eyebrow as she gave a deadpan response. "I don't know if that is offensive or what. I have you know America has people from every race and not all Americans are rude and obnoxious jerks."

Shima gave a playful smirk, "I guess you're right-"

"I am right," Akari interjected.

"Alright, you're right. But, is okay if I ask what your sister's problem is?"

Akari paused to listen to her sister's rant before snapping, "Sora!"

Blue eyes met brown in an angry glare that burned like fire. A quick "what," was the snappy response.

The younger twin blinked in surprise at first but quickly recovered, glaring at her sister and reverting to English, as her sister so stubbornly spoke. "I was just going to say that I don't think you have cursed enough, you should keep going."

Sora gave a rude snort as she turned and walked to the opposite wall and crouched, leaning her back on the wall. It was then that something occurred to Akari. Had Sora's eyes always been blue? On the plane, she could have sworn they were brown. Now the cobalt stood out on the otherwise dark palette. When Akari thought deeper about it, there was no way that either twin could have blue eyes. Blue eyes were a recessive trait and in their lineage on both sides were brown eyes.

Shima had watched the exchange with a slight frown, only catching every few words. He then watched the younger think before he reluctantly spoke. "So, what was her problem?"

"Oh," Akari looked at him, forgetting was she was doing for a moment. She easily switched back to Japanese. "She believes that family should look out for each other, so the idea of twins turning on each other makes her upset. Can I ask you a question now? Why do you dye your hair?"

The pink haired boy looked at her surprised. "What do you mean? How do you know it's not natural?"

"Well,"Akari started with a smile, "Other than the fact that no human of this earth has natural pink hair? It's faded on the tips and you have black roots showing. Why do you dye it?"

Shima gave a small nod, accompanied by a smile. "Alright, you have victory here, but the reason why I dye my hair is personal and I would rather not say."

Akari gave a nod with a small smile. Soon enough everyone learned how outgoing Akari was and she quickly became friends with Konekomaru and Shima. She had avoided the grouchy looking people like Bon and Izumo. Minutes passed of conversation and jokes, and eventually Akari stood. She had grown tired of waiting and moved to shove the door open. Just as her fingers grazed the wood the door swung open, showing Yukio with a pleasant smile and Rin leaning on a table that was one of the many out of place.

Everyone stared at the mess with a mix of shock and awe. All except Sora, who appeared to have expected this seeing as she walked into the room unfazed.

"What in the world happened here?" Akari exclaimed, "Did you guys try to kill each other?"

Rin rubbed his neck shyly muttering something that none of the others could catch. Everyone stepped in the room, looking at the damage. It was Sora who started moving everything back into place first.

;~~o0O0o~~;

"Well?" I said looking over my shoulder at everyone. "Are ya'll gonna help are stand there like a bunch of idiots?"

Bon stepped up and glared at me. "What is your problem?" He used his native language, making me assume that he knew I understood Japanese. It was that, or he just assumed I couldn't understand and was stupidly saying pointless things.

I realized I was watching him with a blank stare so I turned away with a soft 'tsk' as I continued straightening up. I heard a growl and didn't bother turning around, though I did keep my ear open to conversation.

I listened to the girl that freaked before mention her excitement for school. I believe her name was Paku or something like that. Then her bitchy looking, purple-eyed friend responding with hope that they end up in the same class. Izumo's devotion was respectable but still strange. I heard Shima flirt with Akari, then Konekomaru scold him to behave more like a monk. I didn't hear Rin really speak with anyone. I was grateful to rarely hear Akari's voice break the chatter. Hopefully, she was at least smart enough to remember the risk of getting involved and heard the stories and rumors.

A though dragged a sigh from me. Akari, to my memory, had always been a social butterfly. It would probably be hard for her to really stay away from the action and adventure.

It will be hard for me too. I sucked at walking away from fights and challenges. I may have gotten the lesson to 'pick your battles carefully' though that doesn't mean I do. I had a feeling that the action I knew was coming would be hard to be a simple spectator. It was definitely going to be an interesting ride.

*No joke people this happen in the anime! Shura raised her hand when Yukio asked who needed a Masho!

Hey everyone, I want to let you all know that with college, competitions, scholarships, work, and just overall work I probably won't be uploading a chapter soon. Because of that I'm making an offer, a special extra for you readers. If I get more than ten questions relating to this story or even directed at myself as the writer, I'll do a Q&amp;A chapter. If someone PMs me a theory related to this story and it is correct for my plan and drafts that person or one of their characters will be included in a side chapter or might even be included in the actual story. (I know that one probably interests no one, but it's out there.) And lastly, I'm still in the market for a new Beta reader. I would prefer someone who is familiar with the story and that is why I am posting here. Please PM me if you are interested.


End file.
